


Burn With Me Tonight

by xhiki



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Grumpy Shaw, Idiots in Love, Root is a shameless flirt, Some Plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-11
Updated: 2016-07-11
Packaged: 2018-07-22 15:47:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7444840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xhiki/pseuds/xhiki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Hey, I'm still getting us out of here.” Shaw tugged at Root’s shirt until they were both as far away from the detonation site as possible. “Keep your head down. Ready in three…two…one…"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Burn With Me Tonight

**Monday, March 12, 6 am**  

Shaw pulled up to the curb and turned off the ignition. Today was supposed to be her day off, but she wasn't surprised when her phone rang, and Reese was on the other end of the line. They needed her help, and she knew he wasn't going to stop calling her until she agreed. 

She peered out the windshield. Reese was standing on the sidewalk in front of an advertising agency with Grant Media stamped on the glass doors. She sighed before stepping out of the car. Why did she get the feeling they would need her undercover at yet another lame desk job. 

"Right on time." Reese gave her an amused smile. 

"And why wouldn't I be?" 

"No reason. I haven't seen you much lately. Not after…you were almost arrested." He appeared to be suppressing a laugh. 

Shaw fixed her eyes on him. "Watch it or your number will be up next." 

"Its just—" 

"Just nothing. I said I'd help, even though it's my day off." 

"You never cared about days off before." 

Shaw rubbed her temples and took a deep, frustrated breath. She could be in her car and halfway down the street within the next few minutes. There was no need to put up with this. Blue sky surrounded her, and the air already felt warm against her skin. It was going to be a perfect day in the city, and she wouldn't even get a chance to enjoy it, not while she was trapped inside this place. She glanced over at the concrete and glass office building. Prison was more like it. 

Reese still had that goddamn smirk on his face, and she was seconds away from slugging him across the jaw. It was about the only thing that would make this day better. She took a step forward. The idea became more appealing the longer she considered it.

"Ms. Shaw, thank you for joining us," Harold beamed, approaching just in time to stop her from doing something she may or may not regret. 

"Just tell me what I'm doing here, Finch. Better yet, you wanna tell me why you brought this guy along?" She looked over at the man who stood beside Harold. She remembered him all too well. He drugged her in the back of an ambulance the day she came back from the dead. Leo...Leon...something like that. 

"Mr. Tao is here to assist with some of our more technological needs." 

"Are you sure he can be trusted?" Shaw narrowed her eyes. "I mean he couldn't even knock me unconscious."  

"Hey, I'm not a paramedic," Leon whined. 

"You don't say." Shaw rolled her eyes and took a step towards Harold grabbing the folder he held out in his hand.  

"I assure you, Ms. Shaw, Leon is quite useful when it comes to computers. Perhaps we were asking too much to assume he was competent in…other areas." Harold's voice trailed off. 

"Yeah!" Leon interjected quickly before the entirety of Harold's phrase sunk in. "Wait a minute!"  

Shaw glanced through the file of their new number, Kate Newitt. She appeared to be in her late twenties. Ambitious, smart, and graduated with honors from an Ivy League.  

"She heads the interactive marketing and social media strategy team here at Grant Media," Harold added. 

"Social media. Like Twitter and Facebook?"  

"Something like that Ms. Shaw," Harold wrinkled his brow. "You will be joining the team for the day as the new PR strategist and Leon will be the new analytics and search engine optimization hire." 

"PR strategist?" Shaw blinked absently. 

"Don't worry Ms. Shaw you and Leon will be going through new employee online training today. The company paid top dollar for the electronic training course and from what I can tell its quite thorough so I doubt anyone will be asking you any PR related questions." 

Shaw looked over at Leon and huffed. She tugged at the stiff black collared shirt that already felt tight around her neck. "Whatever, look if you needed another computer nerd today why not ask Root?" 

"I did, but she was busy attending to another matter. Didn't she tell you?" 

"Didn't she tell me what?" 

"Nothing, I just assumed–" 

"You just assumed what Harold? How should I know what she's doing?" 

"Mhmm," Reese mumbled, and Shaw took a step forward sending him daggers with her eyes.

"Are you always this angry?" Is she always like this?" Leon interrupted and looked around. I'm just wondering because I kind of got the impression you were going to shoot me—you know—the last time I saw you."

"If you don't stop talking, Leon, I will shoot you," Shaw growled. "Now, can we just get this over with." 

 **Friday, March 9, 11 pm**  

"As much as I enjoy breaking and entering do you think we could wrap this up?" Shaw paced behind Root with her hands on her hips. The alarm had been blaring for at least sixty seconds. More than enough time to notify the police. They should get moving. 

"No one is forcing you to be here Sameen. Besides, I'm almost finished. Root kept her eyes fixed on the monitor, quickly clicking the keys while lines of code flashed across the screen. "One more minute…" 

"We don't have a minute unless you want to spend the night in jail?" 

"Wouldn't be the first time," Root replied, looking up from the screen with a smirk.

Shaw ignored her remark and returned to the window. She pushed the blinds back just enough to peer out. Still nothing. The alarm finally stopped, and Shaw felt some of the tension leave her shoulders, but they weren't in the clear yet.  

Maybe she shouldn't have bothered coming along today, but she already managed to punch out two security guards and tie up an angry looking businessman in the supply closet. Not a bad way to spend a Friday night. Root wouldn't have made it this far without her, or at least, that's what she told herself. 

"Okay, Shaw. I got it" Root stood up and disconnected her laptop from the office computer.  

"Great. Now how about we get the hell out of here?" 

"I thought you'd never ask." Root arched an eyebrow in a not even remotely subtle way. 

A flush of anger swept over Shaw. It was unbelievable how the hacker could flirt at the most inappropriate times. "The door is locked." She pushed her weight into the solid steel, but, of course, it wouldn't budge. It's the door they entered through and from the looks of it, their only way out. 

Root sighed and appeared unfazed by the announcement. "A failsafe was triggered after the alarm was initiated." 

"Well, un-initiate it." 

"I'm not sure it's that simple." 

"I thought you were a computer genius?" 

"Even I can only do so much with a laptop, Sameen. I need access to the control panel so I can bypass the security locks."  

"I don't suppose there's a control panel in here?" Shaw looked around but Root gave her a grim smile, and she didn't need to wait for an answer. 

"Great, now what?" 

"Well. I can think of a few things to pass the time." 

"Root…"

"Calm down, Sameen. The Machine says we have approximately forty-seven minutes before the dispatched officer arrives on-site." A smile slowly crept across her face. "She's buying us some time." 

Forty-seven minutes. Shaw was surprised. That was more time than she'd expected at least. She looked down at her phone and noted the time. Now she just needed to think. If they were able to take on an all-seeing AI, the two of them should have no problem escaping a pharmaceutical companies office in forty-seven minutes. 

**Monday, March 12, 9 am**

Shaw sat at a corner desk overlooking a sea of gray cubicles. Phones rang and the sound of fingers striking keyboards echoed around her. It was a sound that deadened her soul. She didn't understand how anyone would be content sitting here for eight hours a day, only to repeat the whole process over again the next morning. 

She sipped the cup of coffee she made Reese pay for and watched their number across the office. Kate did a lap around the room, stopping at some of her coworker's desks and making small talk. She even took a moment to welcome Shaw, extending a hand with an enthusiastic smile. She finally made her way to her office and took a seat behind an enormous computer monitor.  

"I'm bluejacking her phone Finch." Shaw held out her cell and waited for the notification that the pairing was complete. She scrolled through Kate's text messages. Nothing of interest. Kate had a boyfriend. They seemed to text quite often and…"Oh." She scrolled quickly past some revealing photos and searched the room just to make sure no one was watching her.   

"Let me know if you find anything, Ms. Shaw. Leon is searching through Ms. Newitt's emails from both her personal and work accounts now. John is visiting her apartment to see if there's anything out of the ordinary." 

"She looks pretty ordinary to me Harold."  

“One might say the same about you sitting behind that desk today Ms. Shaw.” 

Shaw gritted her teeth. Stupid desk job. She probably wouldn't even get to shoot anyone today, and she shook her head at the thought.  

"I've already found something." Leon's voice came across the comms, and this conversation was starting to get crowded. "Kate's been sending electronic money transfers to an anonymous account for the last week. The same amount each time. Whoah, four payments of 20,000 so far."  

"That's a lot of cash, Finch,” Shaw remarked. She watched as Kate glanced down at her ringing cell phone with an anxious look on her face. She jumped up from her desk chair and closed her office door. "Whoever is calling—she doesn't want anyone listening in." 

Kate held the phone up to her ear. Her face paled as she spoke but she kept her voice steady. "What is it this time? Haven't you taken enough?" 

 _“One more payment and we are done.”_  

"That's what you said the last time." 

 _"Meet me at 530 West 25th Street tomorrow at noon and I'll give you what you want."_  

"The pictures?" Kate hesitated. "How do I know you didn't make copies? This is ridiculous."  

 _"You don't, but I have someone here that you might be interested in saving.”_   

_“Kate! Kate is that you?"_

"Michael? Are you okay? Oh god, what have you done?"  

 _"Just be there. Noon sharp."_  

The call ended and Kate lowered her head staring down at her desk. Considering what Shaw had just overheard, Kate was doing a good job holding herself together. After a moment, she returned her attention to her computer monitor and began typing. 

"Did you get all that Finch?” Shaw asked. 

"I did, and I was able to trace the source of the call. It's not far from tomorrow's meet-up location." 

"Send me the address Finch. I'll see what I can find," Reese replied.  

"So Kate is being blackmailed by this man or woman." The voice changing device made it difficult to tell. "They have some pictures or something that she apparently doesn't want to be made public." Shaw thought about the photos of Kate she had scrolled past earlier on her phone. Even blackmail hadn't stopped her from sending more.  

Honestly, it seemed no one took precautions to secure their privacy anymore. Root would definitely agree with her on this one. _Root._ She wondered what the hacker was doing today that was more important than saving a number. Then she felt a little envious that she hadn't thought of some excuse to avoid a day in the office. Whatever Root was doing it probably involved breaking at least a dozen laws, and flirting with just as many people along the way. Heat flushed over her at the thought, and she pushed it to the back of her mind with a huff. No way was she jealous. She probably just needed some fresh air. All this recycled office air was making her head pound. 

She should focus. The sooner they wrapped this up, the sooner she could get the hell out of here. The company owner entered and made the rounds saying hello to everyone before entering his office. She recognized him from the new employee orientation site. His grinning face was plastered across several pages. 

"Okay, so I was able to track those wire transfers to a few different accounts," Leon's voice suddenly came through and Shaw found herself tense up again. "But they all trace back to one user—a Jacob Alonso.” 

"Jacob? That's Kate's boss." Shaw looked towards his office. "He just arrived a few minutes ago."

"Well, he's definitely behind this, and I can see why. Kate is rich. Her trust fund kicked in when she turned twenty-five."  

"So Kate's loaded, and her boss found out. What the hell is she doing here? She doesn't even need this job." 

"I don't think she's doing it for the money, Ms. Shaw." 

"So people actually enjoy this sort of thing?" 

"Everyone has different interests, Shaw." Reese chimed in over the comms. “We don’t all enjoy shooting people and blowing up buildings. Oh, and getting arrested."  

"Don't you have somebody to go rescue?" Shaw snapped. She felt her blood boil with anger. He just wasn't going to let this one go.  

 **Friday, March 9, 11:12 pm**  

"Forty-one minutes," Shaw stated. She walked around the room looking for an object to pry the door open. If she couldn't find one she had another idea but making a pipe bomb in this size office might get them both blown up. 

"Sameen, this whole countdown thing you're doing isn't helping." 

"I can't believe this." Shaw circled the room one last time. Nothing looked useful. The drives Root had accessed along with a single monitor rested on the metal desk near the back wall, but the room was otherwise vacant. She didn’t see any objects to pry the door. “How did you not plan for this?" 

"You're not seriously blaming me?" Root looked up and lowered her glasses.  

She didn't even need to wear those damn glasses. They did look good on her, but that wasn't the point. They were alone, locked in a room with no need to keep up their cover identities. "Who else am I supposed to blame?" 

"You do realize Lionel or Reese will get us out of this, even if we don't make it in—" 

"Thirty-eight minutes." Shaw glared at her. "No way. We are getting out of here." If Reese came to their rescue, she would never hear the end of it.  

"Well unless you have an idea, I'm all out of options." 

"This isn't happening. Just ask the Machine." 

"Ask her what? She's doing what she can. She bought us some time."  

Shaw pinched the bridge of her nose. If only Finch were in the city tonight. He’d just locate the control panel and disable the locks or whatever and they would walk out the door. “Fine. Turn that desk over on its side." 

"And what exactly are we doing?" 

"I'm blasting us out of here. With time to spare." 

"She says this isn't a good idea, Sameen."

"Yeah, well does your Machine have a better idea?” 

"She says our best option is to wait."  

"You can't be serious? I can have us out of here in the next five minutes." 

"Sometimes words speak louder than actions. When the officer arrives, let me do the talking. You don't need to blow up an office building. There are more delicate ways to handle this situation." 

"Delicate isn't my style."

"So I've noticed," Root replied with a sigh. "Would you just take a minute to consider other options." 

"What the hell do you think I've been doing?" Root could be so damn frustrating sometimes.

"Shaw, I'm not going to let you blow us up to prove some point." Root took a few steps closer and reached for the explosive in Shaw's hand. The makeshift bomb might be a little messy, but it would get the job done. 

"Don't even think about it," Shaw snarled. "Besides, I'm not going to blow us up. I know what I'm doing." 

Root ignored her closing the gap between them. "What was that…delicate isn't your style." A wicked smile broke across her face. "You want to be reckless. I get it." 

"Root…"  She should move away, yet she found herself leaning into the warmth, unable to break the gaze.  

Root dug her fingernails into Shaw's neck drawing her closer. She knew which points on Shaw's body would send her over the edge. Like a trigger had been pulled, the sensation shot an electrifying pulse down Shaw's back. She clenched her fists willing herself to take a step back, but all reason and logic left her, and dangerous thoughts buzzed through her head. Dangerous and unstoppable. 

Shaw moved with force, steadying Root towards the desk with hands gripping her hips. Their bodies slammed together while hands tugged at clothing and tangled through hair. When their lips finally met the kiss was rough and demanding, leaving them gasping for air the moment they broke apart. Anger. Heat. Sex. This was starting to become a familiar and dangerous dance. 

The corner of Root's mouth spread into a grin, and she yanked off Shaw's shirt, nails clawing down her spine. She placed slow, hungry kisses down her chin and along her neck, stopping below her ear. “What about the mission?” Root whispered.  

“Stop talking. We have time.”

Root grinned against her mouth before crashing their lips together, desperate for the contact. That's what this was, a crash site, and Shaw kept heading back into the destruction. Fire too hot to extinguish. The flames rising around her until she was trapped and it became impossible to escape. Shaw tugged Root’s head back, trailing her tongue down her neckline. The cool office air suddenly felt icy against Shaw's bare skin and every touch was amplified.  

Root stared down at her, eyes dark with desire. When she looked at her like this, Shaw felt an overwhelming sensation – it left her uneasy – like Root knew her. Really knew her. Shaw swallowed hard and looked away for a moment catching her breath. She should stop, but Root felt…so…warm. 

Shaw ran a finger along the edge of Root's waistband, unbuttoning her pants. A moan escaped Root's mouth, raspy and shallow, and she pulled Shaw closer, urging her to move faster, harder. The metal desk rocked against the floor with every movement until Shaw's fingers hit just the right spot sending Root over the edge. Her legs wrapped tighter, drawing Shaw in. Her breath became hitched, and she shuddered biting down on Shaw's lip hard enough to draw blood.  

Root's head fell forward, resting against Shaw's shoulder and they remained still for a moment, steadying their breath. The heat continuing to radiate between them. Everything seemed so simple, so easy and for a moment Shaw forgot where they were, what they had been doing and how much time… 

Shaw looked down at her phone once again. They were almost out of time. “Fuck!” 

"I think we just did that.” A smirk spread across Root’s face.

Shaw ignored her remark, buttoning her pants and putting her shirt back on. 

"Sameen, I thought we decided—"  

"Hey, I'm still getting us out of here.” Shaw tugged at Root’s shirt until they were both as far away from the detonation site as possible. “Keep your head down. Ready in three…two…one…" 

 **Monday, March 12, 2 pm**  

"Kate's boyfriend is safe," Reese said. "I'm bringing him back to Kate's apartment now." 

"Oh thank goodness, Mr. Reese." Harold let out a long sigh.  

“Great. Now all they had to do was arrest Kate's boss, and they could call it a day.” Shaw stood up from her desk and smoothed out the hem of her skirt. "So boys looks like we can wrap this one up. Leon's got enough evidence to put this guy away right? Should we call Lionel?" 

"Ms. Shaw, Lionel is on the way, but I need you to stay put until he arrives. Jacob doesn't know that we have Kate's boyfriend. If he finds out, he might try to do something reckless." 

Shaw felt her head pound again and slumped back into her office chair. She had a feeling he was going to say that. Both Kate and Jacob were still in their offices so all Shaw could do was sit and wait. She was going to need a drink after this. Probably two.  

Her phone let out a loud buzz as it rumbled across the desk and she grabbed it with a huff. "What do you want?" 

"Nice to hear your voice too, sweetie. So how's your day at the office?" 

"Get to the point, Root." 

"I just wanted to see if you'd join me tonight for dinner.” 

"What, like a date?"  

"Can't a couple of gals grab a bite to eat. I'd hardly call it a date." 

"No way. I'll pass." 

"Look Shaw…” Root paused for a moment letting the silence hang between them. When she spoke again, her voice sounded sincere. "I could really use your help. Let me buy you dinner. I promise it will be worth it." 

"Fine," the reply left Shaw’s mouth before she could protest. She was hungry anyway. Her stomach grumbled at the thought of food. She should have stopped at Irisco on her lunch break and grabbed a sandwich. "I get off at five, but if I have to shoot someone, I might be running late."   

Shaw slammed the phone down on the desk with a little too much force. This definitely wasn't a date. What was taking Lionel so long? Hopefully, she would have enough time to grab a drink before she met Root. Alcohol would be necessary before this non-date.  

**Saturday, March 11, 2 am**

"I told you it wasn't a good idea, Sameen." 

Shaw gritted her teeth but remained silent. She shifted in the hard plastic chair and looked around the police station while they waited for booking. Unbelievable. Where was Lionel or Reese? They were so close to getting out of there. If only she hadn't allowed herself to get distracted.  Okay, sure the sex was good...maybe even great...but Root was a distraction. This was all her fault. Then again, when wasn't it Root's fault.  

Before Root came along Shaw had no problem focusing on the mission. A one night stand to occasionally relieve the tension and then she moved on. Relationships were messy and complicated. She didn’t need more complications in her life. After all, they were already at war with a supercomputer.  

She brushed ash from her black tank top. The scent of gunpowder clung to their clothing. All they accomplished was one large explosion announcing their presence. The arresting officer had no trouble identifying their location. Not even Root could flirt her way out of this one. Of course, she still tried. 

Reese entered and flashed his badge at the booking officer while Shaw watched with a knot in her stomach. She really didn't like this. They talked for awhile, and Reese appeared to be working his charm on the female officer without much success. Finally, their conversation seemed to end. 

"Don't say a word," Shaw frowned at him as he approached. 

“You know, you could have made things a lot easier on all of us if you were just arrested for breaking and entering. You didn't have to add explosives to the list of charges." 

"I tried to warn her." Root shrugged and seemed to ignore the harsh glare Shaw sent her way. She raised her handcuffed arms and Reese came by to release them both. 

"What's this?" Shaw asked when Reese shoved a note into her hand. 

"That's what I need you to find out. The information you accessed inside the pharmaceutical office was tied to this account." He grinned. "Would you mind. It's the least you could do after I went out of my way to rescue you. By the way, I think thats lipstick on your neck there?” 

Shaw narrowed her eyes and rubbed at the skin on her neck, but before she could reply with a scathing remark, Root grabbed the paper from her hand.  

"Give me eight hours and I'll have an account name." Root arched an eyebrow and headed towards the exit.  

"What the hell…" Shaw looked down at her now empty hand shaking her head. 

"Well?"  

“Well, what?” 

"You better go after her."  

Shaw looked towards the door and grumbled. She had no interest in sitting around while Root stared at a computer screen for hours on end. “Why don't you go?” 

"Because I don't think she likes me as much," Reese smirked. 

*** 

This was taking way too long. Hadn’t it been eight hours yet? Shaw checked the time. Only four hours passed since they arrived back at Harold's safe house. Harold would return from his business trip this Sunday, and she already expected another lecture about being more like Reese—more like a scalpel and less like a hammer. 

She sighed in frustration and leaned over Root's shoulder. Her eyes blurred from lack of sleep as she glanced at the monitor and squinted until she could focus. She became acutely aware of their close proximity when she inhaled and caught the faint aroma of Root's shampoo. Grapefruit and something floral?   

Shaw immediately took a step back clearing her throat. "Why don't I sit here and read through this correspondence while you go clean up. You look like shit,” she added flatly. Root had debris in her hair from the explosion and a few blackened smudges along her neckline. 

“You should really work on your compliments, Sameen." Root rolled her eyes and pushed the chair away from the desk. "Call me if you find anything," she added on her way out the door. 

*** 

Shaw scanned the messages one after another before clicking on to the next. She rubbed at her forehead and fought back the urge to punch something. It had been at least an hour. Okay, forty minutes but still—how long did it take to find a name. Her index finger hovered over the keyboard until… "Hah! Got you," she mumbled to know one in particular. "Root!"  

"Did you find something, Sameen?" 

"Yeah, I…" Shaw looked away from the screen to find Root standing in the doorway with a white t-shirt that was clinging to her damp skin in all the right places. She swallowed hard and reminded herself to blink. _Pull yourself together and stop staring._ There seemed to be a force preventing her from doing just that.  

Root’s wet hair continued to drip onto her shirt, soaking it further; the edge of her black panties were barely visible below the hem. Shaw shifted her eyes back up to meet Root’s gaze and realized she still hadn't spoke. She just sat there gaping and lost her train of thought completely.

The corner of Root's mouth curled into a sly grin, and she repeated the question. "Did you find something?" 

"Did you lose something? Like your clothes?" The words escaped Shaw's mouth before she could stop them and Root looked thoroughly amused.  

"You called. It sounded urgent." She swept her hair to the side. At this point, she might as well not be wearing a t-shirt at all. 

"I did find something, uh, it can wait." _It can wait until you put some goddamn clothes on…until you stop doing that thing where you lick your lips… until you stop distracting me._ Shaw steadied her breathing as the anger began to rise. At least she thought it was anger when a flush of heat crossed her face.  

“Are you okay, Sameen?” Root furrowed her brow and feigned concern, but Shaw could tell she was enjoying herself. She was already circling the desk and leaning over Shaw's shoulder. “Show me what you found.” 

Cold water dripped from Root's hair landing on the back of Shaw's neck and sending a shiver through her body. Before Shaw knew it, she was on her feet, ready to charge out of this room. After all, they found what they were looking for. Mission accomplished. Case closed. She could get the hell out of here. She had every intention of leaving, but her mind and her body had different ideas and before she could stop herself she had charged towards Root instead of the door.

"Sameen—" 

By the look on Root's face, she was about to say something flirtatious, but Shaw stopped her mid-sentence, pulling her into a deep kiss. A look of surprise and excitement crossed Root's face. Shaw could still walk away. She could still head for that door. This was nothing more than a moment of weakness, but she could regain control. No, she was lying to herself. This was more than a moment of weakness. The chemistry between them had always been there, like a volcanic undercurrent. A strong current that kept pulling Shaw back. 

She was done fighting the sensation that pulsed through her body when Root looked at her, eyes dark and demanding. She tugged at Root’s wet shirt until she managed to remove it, tossing it to the floor and pressing their bodies together. Root’s skin still felt cool when Shaw wrapped her arms tight around her waist. At least, she was done fighting the sensation _right now_. 

 **Monday, March 12, 4 pm**  

Shaw looked up from her computer in time to watch Jacob exit his office. He seemed nervous, and his eyes darted around the room until he finally stopped short of Kate's door. "Finch I think we might have a problem." Jacob stepped into Kate's office, and Shaw grabbed her phone to listen in on their conversation. 

"Kate, he said enthusiastically. "Are you in the middle of something important? I can come back later."

“It's fine, it can wait. Jacob, Is something wrong?"  

"No, not at all. I'm meeting one of our clients for coffee down the street in ten minutes, and I realized it would be a good idea if you could join us—to answer any questions he might have about his media campaign. I apologize for the short notice, but the meeting slipped my mind completely until I received a reminder call."  

Kate sounded hesitant. "Sure. Just give me a second to send off this email and I'll be right with you." Shaw could see her look up and smile at him. 

"Great. I'll wait for you outside." 

"Well, this can't be good." Shaw stood up again. "Don't worry Finch I won't let her out of my sight." 

"I'll meet you outside Shaw. I'm almost there now," Reese said. 

"Thanks but I don't need your help. I can handle this." 

"I'm sure you can, but I'm still on my way." 

Shaw grumbled. No way was Reese taking away her only chance to shoot someone today. Shaw left the office and was glad to step out into the warm sun. The city was alive, and all the familiar noises filled her ears. She inhaled deeply and stretched her back. That office chair was killing her. 

Jacob leaned near the door when she exited, so she smiled politely and said hello. "Just going to grab a coffee," she motioned across the street, and he nodded, returning her smile. Shaw could tell he recognized her but couldn't remember her name. Once she was across the street and out of view, she waited and watched. 

Kate walked out, and he grabbed her arm. "Come with me and keep quiet." They rounded the corner down a silent side street and towards a vehicle idling in the alley. 

"Whats going on, Jacob? What is this?” 

Shaw came up behind them and slugged him on the back of the head with her gun handle knocking him to the ground. He grumbled and made a feeble attempt to get up. "What the hell? Don't you work for me?" His hand grasped the back of his head where the blow had drawn blood. 

"Not anymore," she bent down and slugged him again until his head bobbed to the side. That should keep him out for awhile. 

"What did you just do? Who are you?" Kate's eyes were wide with panic. 

"Look your boss wants you dead because he found out your family is wealthy and by extension you're wealthy, so he's been blackmailing you with some…" Shaw cleared her throat, "photos, to get access to your funds." She was supposedly a bright girl. You think she would have put things together when he was dragging her into an alley.  

Reese walked up and nodded. "Shaw. Guess I missed all the fun."  

"Just another day at the office," she wiped her forehead "Now can we all go home?" 

"You want to go grab a drink first?" 

"No thanks." 

"Since when do you turn down a drink. Come on, I promise I'll be nice. Unless…you already have plans?" He raised an eyebrow. 

"Yeah, I plan to get the hell out of here. Working in an office sucks. She rubbed at her neck. "One day in that stupid chair and my neck is killing me. I just want to go sleep it off." No way in hell was she going to tell Reese where she was really headed. 

*** 

It was seven-thirty when Shaw arrived; she was right on time. The sun was still bright in the sky. She stopped by her apartment and changed back into her black t-shirt and jeans, tossing the traces of a day at the office into her dirty laundry basket.  

The wind picked up sweeping warm air across Shaw's skin. She rounded the corner and the sea of pedestrians and roar of car engines slowly faded into the distance with each step.

The French bistro was tucked away on a side street and exuded an old world charm with dark oak tables lined in white linen tablecloths and a large, mirror-lined bar at the back. This was one of Shaw’s favorite restaurants, but The Machine probably told Root that. It was popular but not overcrowded. They served a great steak and Shaw’s mouth watered at the thought.

Root stood across the street, and Shaw could see her white teeth sparkling even at this distance. Her emerald green dress clung tightly to the curves of her body with a hemline that should be illegal. Shaw’s muscles tensed slightly as she took a few hesitant steps forward. This was a bad idea. 

“Thanks for meeting me.” 

“Yeah, well you said you needed my help.” 

The hostess greeted them at the door with a smile stretched wide across her face and led them to their reserved table by the window. This place also had a great view at night. Once the sun set in the sky, all the city lights sparked to life. 

“So, did you and Harry save the day once again?”

“Something like that,” Shaw huffed looking around. “You want to tell me why I’m really here?” 

“Not much for small talk. Okay.” Root unfolded the napkin in front of her and smoothed it over her lap. She leaned forward and lowered her voice. “You see the two men at the table near the bar, Your two o’ clock?” 

“I see them.” 

“They are arms dealers, and I happen to have information that they are selling to Samaritan’s newly recruited operatives on the black market.” 

“Why not call Reese to take them in?” 

“I suppose I could have, but the Machine gave me this address. Said they would be here, and you should come too.” 

Shaw looked over at the silver-haired men. They enjoyed a bottle of red wine and didn’t look even remotely dangerous. “So what you are saying...” Shaw paused and blinked a couple of times keeping her face expressionless. “Is that the Machine sent us on a date?” 

Root shrugged and took a sip of water, not bothering to reply. Their waiter arrived eager to take their drink orders, and Shaw wasted no time. “Whiskey on the rocks and a steak, rare,” she blurted out. 

“I will have a champagne cocktail," Root furrowed her brow, "and I’m going to need another minute to look over the menu.” He nodded and rushed off towards the kitchen.

“What were you doing today anyway? I had to work with another one of Harold’s nerds, Leon, have you met the guy?” 

“Never met him. And I had a few... _errands_ to run. One woman seemed less than thrilled to chat with me, and I'm afraid I had to get a little aggressive with my approach.” 

"Well, that sounds both vague and dangerous."  

*** 

When their drinks appeared, Shaw wasted no time diving in. She took a long sip and noticed one of the silver-haired men head towards the front door. Luckily they had the perfect view of the sidewalk out front, but Shaw guessed it had less to do with luck and more to do with the Machine. He was greeted by a younger blonde man who looked more like a construction worker than an operative, but Samaritan was getting creative with its recruiting style so nothing surprised her. After a moment they both headed into an alley around the corner and out of sight. She glanced at Root, who motioned towards the door with her eyes and in one swift movement Shaw was up and rushing towards the exit.

She arrived in time to see the transaction take place and shouted towards the men. “Hey, you got a permit for that gun?” The blonde man gasped and sprinted away. _Amateur_. Shaw shook her head keeping her weapon trained on the dealer who seemed less frightened by her sudden appearance. 

“We can do this the easy way or the hard way.”

The man raised his gun and fired. The shot barely missed, crashing into the brick wall just over her shoulder, and scattering dust into the air. She ducked around the corner and inhaled a deep breath.  _No one ever chose the easy way._

With her back against the brick wall she continued to return fire until she heard a groan followed by a loud thump. The shot clipped his knee, but he continued to wail. Once he was bound and gagged with a combination of his belt and suit tie, Shaw grabbed his gun and bent down beside him. “I think it might be time to retire, gramps, your reaction time is a little slow.”

Shaw could hear Root’s voice nearby. She glanced around the corner and caught sight of emerald green, along with their other suspect. “My car is parked just down the street here," she said. "In fact, if we walk through this alley it should be just at the end." The moment they rounded the corner Shaw appeared with a welcoming punch across the guys face. He fell to the ground, and Root tapped his shoulder with her heel. He seemed to be unconscious for now.  

Root looked down toward the tied and gagged man at the end of the alley. “Not a bad date,” she said, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall. “Admit it. You're having a good time.” 

There were several things Shaw wasn't willing to admit, but she failed to stop the smug grin that spread across her face as she looked over at Root and then down at the two men on the ground. “This is _not_ a date.”  

“Sure Sameen, and we are  _definitely_  not going back to my place after. Root's eyes trailed over the length of Shaw's body and she flicked her tongue over her lips before turning to walk back towards the restaurant. 

Shaw did want to go back in and finish dinner. She sighed in defeat. After that, well, she was willing to admit one thing—sex with Root _was_  better than a filet at any steak joint. 


End file.
